SINGAPORE - President Halimah Yacob has said Singapore is committed to supporting the United States in its engagement of the region, as Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day on Sunday (July 4).

In a letter dated June 30 to her counterpart Joe Biden, Madam Halimah congratulated the US on its 245th anniversary of independence, and highlighted the strong ties Singapore and the US enjoy.

"The close friendship between our two countries, built on mutual trust and a convergence of interests, has guided our strong ties in defence, security, economic and people-to-people relations over the past 55 years," Madam Halimah said in her letter.

"Amidst these challenging times, I am glad that bilateral cooperation between Singapore and the US has continued to expand to include areas such as climate change, clean energy, digital economy, infrastructure financing, public health and cyber security," she added.

Madam Halimah also said that Singapore will continue "to work with the United States to further strengthen bilateral cooperation to advance our shared interests and address common challenges both regionally and globally".